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It is common knowledge among historians and theologians alike that celebrations on December 25th of a Christmas-like nature were taking place all over the world centuries before the birth of Jesus Christ. This date has always been astronomically and spiritually understood as the birth date of all great saviors and redeemers.

In India, for example, this period was one of great rejoicing, at which time the people decorated their homes with garlands and gave freely of gifts. In China too, the Winter Solstice was a holy time during which shops and courts were closed, and all business activity was suspended.

The birth date of the great Persian sun god Mithras was December 25th. The early Christian church – in a very direct fashion – borrowed this date as the birth date of its own savior, Jesus the Christ, as a genuine result of the contact between the two religions (Mithraism and Christianity), at a time when both were growing in popular appeal throughout the Roman Empire.

This adoption of the date December 25th was accepted by the church for strategic reasons, despite having no traditional or scriptural precedent to associate even this time of the year with the actual birth date of Jesus. Yet this was not an unusual pattern, nor was the choice an arbitrary one.

The great Egyptian god Osiris, the son of the Holy Virgin, was also said to have been born on December 25. And the Greeks celebrated this day as the birth of Hercules. Still in more acceptance was the tradition that Dionysus, the Greek god of wine, and Adonis, the youthful savior, were to celebrate their birthdays on December 25.

Historically, Adonis was called “Tammuz” by the ancient Israelites of Abysinnia (present-day Ethiopia). His celebration took place ceremonially in a cave dwelling in the town of Bethlehem, which was regarded as his birthplace! Tammuz was esteemed as “good bread” for the soul. The word “Bethlehem” means “house of bread,” or "house of Tammuz," and his name still designates the 4th month of the Jewish calendar.

(Tammuz is astronomically attuned to the time of the Summer Solstice, when the Sun reaches its greatest northern declination, and is astrologically attuned to the sign Cancer, which rules the African continent.)

The Egyptians also worshipped Tammuz as the setting sun. His name means literally “our Lord,” as does the Greek “Adonis,” and the ancient Israelites wrote many Psalms for Tammuz, as part of their liturgical services were offered in his name. One such example remains in the Old Testament as the 110th Psalm...

Meanwhile, Dionysus was later to become a big favorite with the Romans as Bacchus, their god of wine. Thus the term “bacchanalia,” used to describe a celebration feast even more frenzied than the week-long “Feast of Saturnalia,” which always began on December 17th.

All of the above may come as a surprising revelation to the modern-day Christian, but it has been common knowledge among historians and theologians for centuries. It is also common knowledge among learned religionists that nearly all other dates for Christian holidays are set based upon those of previous religions. Even in England and Ireland, the Druids had for centuries been celebrating the great day of December 25th. In other words, there has always been a Christmas, regardless of whether or not it was known as "Christmas." (The word is a shortened form of "Christ’s Mass," i.e., the Mass of Christ.)

The astronomical event and inspiration for all these diverse (yet similar) religious celebrations is the Sun’s transit across the Winter Solstice on Dec. 21st. This time is symbolically the world’s “darkest hour” – the longest night of the year. To the peoples of the Northern Hemisphere (where all our present-day religions originated) the Sun is directly below the Earth at midnight on December 25th. Concurrently the constellation Virgo - the celestial Virgin - stands upon the horizon in the Eastern Hemisphere of the Heavens...

From this point the Sun of the New Year is "born," and begins its journey back to the Northern Hemisphere to save that part of humanity from the dark and famine which would certainly be inevitable were the Sun not to return from south of the equator in time to banish the cold of winter. Thus December 25th becomes traditionally the birthplace of all saviors – all suns of God. The Sun is so-sent as a gift to mankind and for his salvation. What greater event, as cause for celebration, occurs in the Heavens?

Along similar astrological principles there occurs yet another planetary influence whose effect and presence is felt during this time of the year; another emissary of what has become familiar as “the Christmas spirit.” This influence emanates from the planet Jupiter, the “Great Benefic,” the largest planet in the Solar System...and ruler of the zodiacal sign Sagittarius, whose month is December and whose symbol at Christmas time has traditionally been “Santa Claus.” Just as with so many other mythological figures from the past, "Santa Claus" nonetheless possesses his own more mundane history.

It seems that Santa’s earthly evolution begins with one St. Nicholas, the Bishop of Myra during the mid-4th century AD. St. Nicholas was born, appropriately enough, on December 6th, year unknown, in what was then Patara, Lycia (now part of the country of Turkey). Evidently from wealthy parentage, young Nicholas was later orphaned however, a fact that proved to have great impact upon his legend.

From the time of his birth to the occasion of his election as the Bishop of Myra, St. Nicholas’s story gradually departs from the documented into saintly symbolism, a great deal of which proves to be astrological in origin and significance.

The word “Santa” means, of course, “saint.” Ironically, the word has shared etymology with the name “Satan”; that common source being the name “Saturn,” given first to the god, then later to the planet. Obviously this ancient and misunderstood Saturn harbors a devout nature for which he is seldom given credit – neither by astrologers nor by religionists. Instead, Saturn remains better known for his more malefic contributions to mankind.

Nonetheless, St. Nicholas (or “Sint Klaes” as he was known in Europe) was included in the Roman martyrology of saints as “Sanctus Nicolaus.” They eventually included St. Nicholas’s observance in the "Feast of Saturnalia." Yet Santa Claus’s more prominent stellar affiliation has always been with Jupiter, whose beneficial influence dominates the month of December by its rulership of the sign Sagittarius, under which St. Nicholas was born. He died in 342 AD, on December 6th, the date of his birth, with the 11th Psalm on his lips...

The astronomical event and inspiration for all these diverse (yet similar) religious celebrations is the Sun’s transit across the Winter Solstice on Dec. 21st. This time is symbolically the world’s “darkest hour” – the longest night of the year. To the peoples of the Northern Hemisphere (where all our present-day religions originated) the Sun in Capricorn is directly below the Earth at midnight on December 25th. Concurrently, the sign Libra ("peace on Earth") ascends on the eastern horizon of the Heavens, and the constellation Virgo - the celestial Virgin - stands upon the horizon in the Eastern Hemisphere of the Heavens...thus the origin of the Biblical phrase, "he was born of a virgin"...

Your absolutely correct about Christmas [and the Christmas tree] being related to a Pagan holiday long before Jesus.

Did you get that post from a Christian site? Because many protestants are trying to break away from this Catholic church tradition.

Christ + Mass

It was the Catholics who brought all this junk in to control the Pagans, they ruled over.

Jeremiah Chapter 10 tells us why we do not bring Christmas trees into our house. Thank God a lot of these pagan traditions are now being broken off of Christianity. As we all become more aware of what was added by European Culture and has nothing to do with the Bible.

Jesus was born most probably on September 29. Or within the week, we know from the Bible that the Holiday being talked about among the Jews, comes at this time and not in December.

Mithra was one of the competeing religions that those sly dogs of the Holy Roman Empire [Catholic political power] were able to erase from the face of the earth by adopting their pagan holiday [December 25, and Easter] and dedicating them to Jesus birth and his ressurection.

Romans did not even know about Mithraism or adopt it until after Jesus was dead and all the books of the New Testament had been written already. So there is no way that Christianity came from Mithraism.

Originally posted by AqilThe birth date of the great Persian sun god Mithras was December 25th. The early Christian church – in a very direct fashion – borrowed this date as the birth date of its own savior, Jesus the Christ, as a genuine result of the contact between the two religions (Mithraism and Christianity), at a time when both were growing in popular appeal throughout the Roman Empire...